Whether you specialise in branding and logo design (opens in new tab), illustration, responsive web design (opens in new tab) or any other creative field, failing to take risks is a one-way ticket to mediocre work.
Fortunately, award-winning creative director (opens in new tab), art director (opens in new tab) and graphic designer Radim Malinic can help. His new publication, Book of Ideas (opens in new tab), recently hit number one spot on Amazon's Hot New Releases list (here's our review of Book of Ideas (opens in new tab)).
In this extract from Book of Ideas, below, Malinic expalins why designers should face a fear every day – it's just one of 42 chapters that touch on everything from how to choose clients and win work to banishing self-doubt and more.
Read on for Malinic's tips on how to transform fear into the fuel for action…
Fear should be the fuel for action. We will always face fears, and they can rule our thoughts, deeds and diaries. They can prevent greatness from happening as they cloud our decisions.
There's no better place to fight uncertainty than when you're in a public space: there, you have no way of going back on your decision. Creative industry conferences are full of designers, developers or illustrators all keen to tell their story on the main stage, but they spend the weeks leading up to their talk fearing some kind of failure on the day.
While some seasoned professionals have battled their fears over and over, many still get that queasy feeling in their stomach. But there is such a thing as positive stress. Anxiety is best turned into positive energy: it means you care about what is about to happen. You give a shit.
As someone who has experienced these moments of overwhelming anxiety, I have purposely put myself forward for as many conferences as possible. I didn't want to just sit tight and wait for the day the fear might go away. The more talks I've done, the better I have structured my presentation and my delivery improved. When I see others deliver, I know I can do it too.
So many top singers and actors have felt the same, and didn't let their fears stand in the way of their careers. We are all made from the same stuff, we are all capable of great achievements.
If they can do it, you can. If not better.
Words: Radim Malinic (opens in new tab)
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